The Raven's Revenge
by Akiru chan
Summary: -ItaNaru- Itachi couldn't let the blond trickster get away with his unsightly crime. An Uchiha always gets his revenge. This is the tale of how the Fox tricked the Raven, and how the Raven caught the Fox in his own game.
1. All For Cheesecake

_A/N - Well this is me settling my ItaNaru itch. I just need to write some more for this pairing. I blame Disgruntled Minion for this. Her fics have corrupted me. I hope she is happy. lol. ((Also she is currentl Beta'ing the new chapter of Affinity, so don't think I have forgotten about that... it should be up soon.))_

_Well this will be a three-shot... so not long. _

_It is also based off of the fable "The Fox and the Raven" Go search for it if you have never read it. It's really quite short. _

_Well hope you enjoy, and be warned that it is un-beta'ed _

_Disclaimer - I own nothing of Naruto, nor do I make money off this fic. _

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_**A Raven's Revenge

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_By: Akiru-chan_

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_Chapter One: All for Cheesecake

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People, a giant mass of them. Their trimmed and proper bodies meandering about in the large hall. Women flaunted their money through their expensive attire or the quality of their obvious boob and face jobs. The men drooled over them like animals, taken in by that mask like complexion.

Dark eyes watched the interaction of the high class with disgust. Money really was a filthy thing for the way it made others act. Itachi would freely dismiss this lifestyle if only he could. Although he really was just like them. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the power he received or what money could buy him. What ever he wanted was always presented to him on a golden platter.

It made him think if he would really push this life aside if he could. He was just another hypocrite, the upper class was filled with them. Itachi was just a product of his raising. Wanting for something different, but never actually reaching for it. Safety in the familiar kept him from seeking a different life. He found his salvation from within. Living his primp life while rejecting what he could without feeling too out of his element.

Parties were one of the things he dismissed. Hating the idle chit chat and gossiping that went on. The Uchiha brothers where always a pair of ears that the ladies sought. Hoping that they might woo them with their simplistic words. It they were lucky they might even be able to convince them to one dance.

Itachi hated how fake these woman were. Falling over themselves to get into the beds of either brother. Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother, found them just as repulsive if not more. The young man usually left the party at the most opportune time to find a secluded area where he could not be found.

As for Itachi, he would always stay. He could never figure out what kept him riveted to the main rooms. Maybe he thought the more he gazed at the idiocy of the gathering, the more he would despise it. One day perhaps he would find the last block to tip the scale and in doing so, give him the courage to forever leave this place and life.

"Oh Itachi, there you are. I was looking for you. You're a hard man to find." And thus it would now start. The exchanging of pleasantries and meaningless words. He would have to be polite to the women who were no different than the whore on the street. So ready to sell themselves to a pretty face and a fat wallet.

"Good evening Ms. Haruno." He greeted the strawberry blond, one of the few woman here that he could stand. Like him, she detested these formal gatherings. Although she really wasn't much different than the others, except she left Itachi alone for the most part. Her eyes were only on his brother, who wanted nothing to do with her. It was funny to see them bicker back and forth. They had all know each other since they were young children.

The Uchiha and Haruno's went back ages. So it was no surprise that their children would be close as well.

"Do you know where Sasuke is? I swear he always disappears at these things." Itachi couldn't help but smirk. The poor girl had no chance with Sasuke. Which was sad since she was one of the few who he would approve of as a suitable wife for his brother.

Despite her annoying nature and love for all things material, she was very well grounded. Not to mention she was not a slut like many of the others.

"I can't say that I have seen him. You know how much he dislikes these things." Sakura made a face as she agreed.

"He should at least wait for us. He can't just leave us to deal with all of this."

"Well that's Sasuke for you." They both agreed. Sasuke had always been spoiled and babied, by their mother, Mikoto. Needless to say he came out spoiled on some levels.

"Then it looks like I have you all to myself then. Shall I be your bodyguard against the rabid women trying to get into an Uchiha's pants." It was amusing hearing something so vulgar coming from such a innocent looking lady. Itachi smirked at her words.

"Only if I can fight off your suitors as well." They both laughed lightly, enjoying each others company.

"Hmm... you might have some competition with that." Itachi gave her a questioning look. " You see I have a friend with me tonight, although he seems to have abandoned me."

Pink locks flashed past as Sakura looked this way and that. She had last seen her friend talking to one of the Hyuuga's. Hinata might be her name, but she couldn't be sure.

"Hn." Sakura stopped her searching. Green eyes looked the Uchiha up and down, before shaking her head.

"I swear, you Uchiha's and one syllable words. It's a wonder anyone can put up with you."

"Sakura!" The girl tensed, her back ridged and fixed. Itachi too stiffened, they both knew and dreaded the young lady for whom the voice belonged to.

Sakura turned, false excitement thickly covering her voice.

"Ino! It's been forever." A blond approached them, her dress hugging her frame tightly. It left little to the imagination, leaving her ample cleavage open for showcase.

"Oh and Itachi you're here too." The raven haired man did not like the voice she use to address him. It was far too sensual for his liking. Ino was a prime example of the whore's who hid among the rich.

"Hn." The lack of a reply didn't seem to phase her much as she attached herself onto his arm, wrinkling the satin fabric of his dress shirt. This wasn't a woman, it was a leech.

Itachi couldn't help but conclude that this was why he detested woman. The lot of them were vile creatures out for their own gain. Even Sakura began to show how poisonous she could be around this girl, not that Itachi could blame her. The girl was really just too much.

"Ino, I don't think Itachi wants a dirty pig soiling his shirt." Sakura bit out with such force that Itachi found himself proud.

The blond immediately released Itachi to focus her burning gaze on the girl next to her. They smiled sweetly, and Itachi knew that it would be best to leave now while he had a chance.

He excused himself, but he doubted either heard as the insults began to fly. Hopefully there would be no cat fight tonight, if there was he would put his money on Sakura. Most didn't know that she had taken kendo with Sasuke when they had been younger. She couldn't compare with himself or his brother, but she was no doubt one of the most talented girls he had seen.

As he fought his way through the crowd he could still faintly hear their yells. He quickly ignored them and the greetings others gave him. Itachi could careless if they thought him rude. It wasn't like they could complain. The Uchiha's were far above them status wise. His family owned one of the most prominent companies worldwide.

His train of thought quickly derailed, killing any other such ideas that might sprout up. Before him stood the glorious dessert table. Now, there was one thing that many did not know about Itachi. In fact most of his family didn't even know, since it was very un-Uchiha like. If there was one thing an Uchiha must be, it was Uchiha like.

Itachi had an unholy loving of all things sweet. He could gorge himself on anything from cakes and cookies, to the more luxurious items like creme brulee to Baked Alaska. Unfortunately being an Uchiha kept him from doing just that, since his family weren't fond of such dishes. He was lucky to get some simple ice cream from time to time.

It was only at these events that he could really get his fill. So maybe they really weren't that bad after all. He could deal with a few snobby individuals for a taste of a sweet treat.

The table was so close, he could already see the mounds of delicious morsels. Some eclairs were stacked neatly by a chocolate fondu fountain that was encircled by fresh strawberries.

What drew Itachi's eyes was an almost bare platter of what could only be New York style cheese cake. One piece laid lonely, looking delightfully plump and fluffy. Drizzled upon it was a chocolate raspberry sauce that Itachi knew would be tasteful.

He couldn't waste time, not when cheesecake was involved. Beside's who was he to neglect the last piece. The poor thing must be so lonely. He would have to give the dessert a place to call home. Namely his stomach, that had begun to growl for the treat.

Spotting one of the many white ceramic plates, Itachi picked it up. He would just need to find the pie server to deposit the cake on his plate. Just because he loved the sweet didn't mean he would go so low as to use his fingers to claim it.

Luckily he found the utensil without much problem, bring the cake to rest on his plate. Now to find a fork and enjoy.

"Hey! That was mine." A finger was pointed rudely at Itachi's cake. The man looked at the offending appendage in disgust. Who dared to interrupt his dessert time?

His eye's trailed up the finger to a tanned hand and arm. They continued to move upwards before settling on a pair of sapphire eyes. They were too blue in Itachi's opinion, probably contacts.

"Can I help you?" Damn having to be polite. Would anyone really care if he got a little snappy from time to time?

"I am so happy you asked." The males voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I had my eyes on that piece of cake you have there. I called it first!"

Was this brat three or something? He couldn't be serious. Did he think Itachi was really going to give up his piece of cake just because the boy asked. Apparently he didn't know who he was dealing with.

"To bad it's on my plate." The boy shook his head in defiance, blond spikes bouncing around messily.

"I know, it was so kind of you sir to put it on a plate for me." The blond spoke, a smirk on his lips. He wasn't going to give up this easily.

Itachi brought the plate closer towards his chest. He didn't like the way the boy was looking at his treat. "It's mine." Now who was sounding like a child?

"Oh come on, don't be like that. It's just cheesecake. You act like I am about to take your precious money away or something." The young man snorted at the ravens attitude.

Itachi glared at him, not liking the crafty glint in those blue eyes. This man reminded him of a fox trying to corner his prey.

"Get your own."

"See that's the problem. You sir have taken the last piece. So if you could just be so kind and..." The blond reached his hands out, trying to snatch the plate away. Yeah like Itachi was going to let him.

Anyone who might have been watching would have laughed. The sight was pure gold. They looked like two preschoolers trying to fight over the shinny red fire truck.

"Come on you don't need that. You're fat enough as it is. I can already see the beginnings of a spare tire." The fox poked at Itachi's side, emphasizing his point. To bad Itachi was as lean as they came, but that didn't stop the boy from his onslaught.

"Plus it will rot your teeth, not that they could get any worse than they already are." Itachi fought the urge to cover his mouth as he growled out his frustration. Why didn't he just walk away? That would be the mature, Uchiha thing to do.

This boy though just grated on his last nerve. Itachi wouldn't let the blond think that he had gotten to him. He would plow this fox into the ground. No one out did Itachi Uchiha.

"Hn. Like you need to get any fatter, although you can't look much worse with that ugly dye job and those so obviously fake blue eyes." It was a complete lie on Itachi's part. He couldn't deny that the blond was indeed attractive and well built. He would never admit it though.

The blond scoffed. "Nice try, but unfortunately for you I know just how drop dead sexy I am."

For some reason the comment just seemed to ruffle Itachi's feathers even more. "As sexy as a dog."

"Your just jealous, cause you can't have this." He motioned to his body. "Then again with a stuck up face like yours, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. Your just another rich asshole who thinks their too good for the rest of us." Naruto shot out.

That was the last straw for Itachi. If this guy was looking for a fight, then he wasn't going to be one to disappoint.

The cheesecake was absently placed on the table, giving Itachi the ability to use both hands if need be.

Fighting didn't seem like it had been on Naruto's agenda. As soon as the plate landed onto the table, it was snatched back up. Itachi didn't even see it coming. Before it even registered to him, the blond was already stuffing _his_ tasty sweet into that insulting mouth.

Itachi couldn't even believe what had happened. The blond was looking up at him with a fox grin plastered on his face. He had won, the damn idiot had won. Itachi knew this, and it angered him more than it should have.

This whole thing had been a rouse to get just what he wanted. The blond had actually out smarted an Uchiha.

"Now, no hard feelings. Okay?" Oh Itachi would show him hard feelings. There was no way this brat was going to get away with stealing his dessert.

"Naruto. There you are." Both males froze. Sakura bounded over, completely unaware of the fight that had been going on between the two. "Oh I see you have met Itachi."

Naruto blinked, looking back to the raven. "You're Itachi?"

Itachi nodded, receiving an apologetic smile from the fox. Too bad that wasn't going to do for the raven. Naruto had crossed the line of no return. Itachi would not rest until he felt confidant that this boy was punished for the evil deed he committed against his cheesecake.

"Well I guess it's good you two met. I wanted to tell you two the news together." They both perked up at this. Neither had been aware that there was news to be shared. Itachi felt that he wouldn't enjoy what he was about to hear.

Sakura smiled, taking their silence of excitement instead of dread.

"My father had just made our merging official!" This wasn't news to Itachi. In fact it was one of the reasons for this gathering. He had know for sometime that both Uchiha and Haruno companies had planned on going through with a major merging. Which Sasuke wasn't happy about, since this pretty much sounded the end of his life. Both boys knew their mom was looking to marry one of them off to the Haruno's only child. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he was the prime target. "So with the merging, a lot of positions are being switched and changed."

Sakura turned to Naruto, grabbing his larger hands between her own petite fingers.

"Your going to be promoted! You'll be working directly under the Vice President." Naruto's eyes widened. Joy very prominent in his features.

Itachi though had a very different reaction. His fist tightened considerable and a frown took residence upon his face. Why hadn't his father said anything about this? Shouldn't Itachi have been one of the first to know?

"Are you serious Sakura? I can't believe this. I have been waiting for a promotion forever." Naruto cheered, oblivious to Itachi now that something more important had distracted him.

"I know, you really do deserve this." Itachi couldn't help to think how ironic Sakura's words were. Naruto really did deserve this, he thought evilly.

"So, who is Mr. Vice President so I can introduce myself." He laughed. " Got to make a good first impression."

Itachi couldn't have stopped the smirk even if he tried, as Sakura pointed Naruto back in his direction.

"You just met him. Naruto, I want you to meet Itachi Uchiha. From now on you'll be working directly under him." Itachi didn't think one person could look so horrified. It really pleased him that he would have that kind of affect on the boy.

Oh yes, this was going to be sweet revenge. It was almost worth losing his cheesecake over, almost.

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To Be Continued . . .

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_A/N - Well there you have it... hope you enjoyed this. It's my attempt at humor... I probably should just stay with angst... seems to be my forte. xD _

_-Akiru-_


	2. Revenge Gets You Everywhere

_A/N – Well this chapter was meant to be out about two weeks ago and be a little longer. To keep this short my Laptop is more or less dead at this moment. So this fic was trapped in my documents. Thanks to a friend I finally got it off and decided to just post what I have so far since the end of semester is coming up and papers and projects are being pushed at me to do. So I didn't know when I was going to be able to work on this next. Good news is that this will probably be more like four or five chapters long now… Yay? Maybe… lol. _

_Anyways, Disgruntled minion beta'ed this for me. I love her… plus she writes me kick ass ItaNaru fics… not to mention I have her to thank for getting me obsessed with this pairing now. XD_

_Disclaimer – Don't own Naruto, nor Nor I make a profit of of it. xP_

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_Chapter Two: Revenge Gets You Everywhere

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If one were to tell Naruto a week ago that he would be cursing his current promotion, the blond man would have laughed. If they had told him that the reason for him wanting his old job back was because the job was too perfect, he would have called them crazy.

The truth was, Naruto didn't find any of them crazy or laughable. His job really was too perfect. It was driving him crazy.

He had been working for Mr. Uchiha for over a week now, and he couldn't think of a better job. Naruto was treated kindly, almost like an equal. He had already gotten to attend some important luncheons with Itachi and possible clients. There were even times when Naruto himself got to participate in a meeting as a replacement for his boss who had other matters to attend to.

It was wonderful and that was the underlying problem. When Naruto had started, he was expecting to walk into the ground zero of his new hell. The first day was like walking through a zombie infested home, like one of the horror movies that line his shelves. One wrong turn and Naruto was sure he would get his face mauled off.

Naruto was just so ready to face the torment Itachi was sure to place upon him in some sort of twist revenge. Yet all he received from the older man were nods, 'thank you's', and dare he say, kindness.

You would think this would settle ones nerves, but for poor Naruto it only seemed to heighten them. He was waiting for the proverbial bomb to drop. Naruto just hoped that it wouldn't be a nuclear bomb.

Maybe he should just ask for his old job back. He was rather fond of his cubical and sanity. Plus, with this new job, he had nowhere to sit Yo Soy; his potted cactus, which he always kept lovingly on his desk. Now the poor plant sat alone in his apartment.

Perhaps he would have to find a place here for her after all. She just looked so miserable on his empty windowsill. Naruto's eyes wandered over to the small space at the edge of his desk. The spot was currently taken up by his phone, but with a little rearranging it would make a perfect new home for his cactus.

Happy with the thought, Naruto didn't bother to look up when someone stood before his desk. It wasn't until a file was pushed under his nose, that he took the time to greet who ever it might be.

He was shocked to Itachi standing before him. Usually the man was busy during the early morning hours. It was beyond Naruto's understanding, why someone would schedule all their meetings for the morning. It became a really pain in the ass when he had to attend them in his bosses place.

Maybe Uchiha's were just morning people. It wasn't as if it mattered, either way Naruto looked at it, he couldn't change the fact.

Naruto prepared himself for anything. He still couldn't bring himself to let his guard down in front of this man. Something told him to keep his wits about him; all hell would break out soon. It was like an annoying itch in the back of his mind. It wouldn't let him forget that his life might be in danger. Growing more and more intense as he tried to force it deep in his mind.

Itachi eyed him, noticing the tenseness of his shoulders. The whole thing was too amusing for him. If he had been anyone else, he would have broken out in dark laughs long ago. It was just so humorous to see this boy jump at the slightest thing. Naruto really was becoming paranoid, and Itachi became all the smugger because of it. He loved how those piercing blue eyes look so much more alive when Naruto was on high alert.

Smiling, Itachi tapped the folder twice bringing the blondes attention back to it.

"This," He said, in a too friendly voice. "Needs to go up to floor seven. Sasuke needs it for his meeting this afternoon. Make sure he gets it, and don't come back until it's safely in his hands."

Naruto nodded, finding the request mundane and boring. Tasks like this were more common than he would like to admit. Naruto would have much rather gone on another lunch or dinner meeting. At least then, he would be coming back with a full stomach.

"Yes sir." He sighed, but was sure to keep his eyes on his boss at all times. For all he knew the next step he took would be his last. The floor could cave in, buckets of poisonous spiders could be spilled on him, or even worse, the raven could jump him and do Naruto in himself. Naruto stiffened, the image that came to mind wasn't what he had expected, nor wanted.

Hmm, maybe having his boss jump him in a sexual way wouldn't be all that bad. Naruto laughed, yeah like he was going to let that cheesecake-hogging jerk lay a finger on him. He didn't care how fucking gorgeous he was. He could be Adonis himself, and Naruto wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot stick. No, he lied. He would touch him with a ten-foot stick with a tazer on the end, or something sharp.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the sudden mirth in those blue eyes. Something told him that hitting the fox now would be a good idea, but he brushed it off. No use ruining his plans this far into the game. So instead, he opted to watch the blond walk happily to his unknown hell.

It was just too wonderful. Itachi couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat. He couldn't bring himself to feel upset; it was just that good.

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Was the dinging of an elevator supposed to sound so ominous? To Naruto it sounded like a heart monitor calling out the ending of someone's life. The heart slowing down until that final beep. The doors opened then, beckoning Naruto forward.

It was silly, Naruto decided, to think of such things. The elevator wasn't going to hurt him, if anything it would only serve to get him further away from Itachi.

He walked inside, letting the heavy doors slide closed behind him. The line of buttons waited patiently to be pressed. Naruto was sure to pick seven, which was only four floors below.

Naruto was positioned on the top of the building; floor eleven. He often wondered if there were a fire, would the ladder truck reach that high? His friend, Kiba, was a firefighter. The next time they went out for a drink, Naruto would have to ask. The last thing he needed was to have to die in burning flames with his boss.

Not his ideal death by any means. If he had his choice, Naruto would love to die during sex. Just think about it, dying during an orgasm. Ok, so maybe not the most noble of deaths, but Naruto didn't see anything wrong about feeling good when you kicked the bucket.

So, you see dying with Itachi wouldn't be on his list of things to do. As to why, one would just need to look back to his earlier 'not touching that jerk with a ten foot stick' rant. If Naruto wasn't going to touch him with a stick, he sure as hell wasn't going to touch him with his dick. Haha, that rhymed. Naruto laughed to himself as the elevator continued it descent.

Naruto made a mental note to discuss his concerns with Kiba. There was no way in hell he was going to kiss his life goodbye in the above fashion.

The doors opened, welcoming him to the seventh floor. Like all the other levels, this one was plainly decorated with cream walls and reddish brown carpet. The design was taste full, but too dull for Naruto. Even the pictures on the walls were boring, just a bunch of abstract lines. They meant nothing to him. How could people even call this crap art? Naruto was sure that he could do better, and he sucked at drawing.

Deciding to ignore the less sightly wall ornaments, he trudged down the hall. The further he walked, the less he looked forward to the encounter that was to come. Sasuke was literally a mini clone of his older brother, only fouler and more of a bastard. This man wouldn't hesitate to murder Naruto if the need arose. Scary thing was; Naruto was almost positive he could get away with it.

He had to say, he preferred Itachi. It was the better of the two evils. At least with the older Uchiha, he knew his life wasn't on the line, or so he hoped. Itachi just didn't hold that maniacal glint in his eye.

Itachi reminded him of a raven that would peck at you until your eyes were gone and you were a suffering bloody mess. Sasuke though was a snake, one bite and you would be worm chow. So needless to say, Itachi was the better of the two.

To add another item to Sasuke's cons list, his damn office was too fucking far. Naruto swore that it took about an hour to maneuver through the hallways to get to Sasuke's office door. The bastard had to be located on the opposite side of the building. He must really enjoy making his employees suffer. Naruto shrugged; at least he didn't have to deal with the little Uchiha on a regular basis.

Hallelujah, Naruto could almost scream as those big ass doors loomed around the corner. To Naruto they looked more like the doors to some medieval dungeon then the welcoming doors to an office. Probably because Sasuke's office was really a dungeon, enough torture went on in there.

Now this is were the bad news came in. The secretarial desk positioned by the door was empty, which meant that Shikamaru had snuck off again. Usually the lazy man could be found asleep on a couch in the lounge or sitting on the roof, cloud gazing. Normally Naruto could care less what the man was up to, but not today.

Shikamaru usually was a good mediator between the two. If Sasuke were about to leap over his desk to choke the blond, then Shikamaru would intervene and save Naruto's life.

With him gone, this only upped Naruto's chances of dying here. Not his preferred way to go. Murder was not on his list of top ten way's to die. He would just have to pray to whatever god smiled upon him that he would walk out of this in one piece.

Naruto grappled to round up his courage. He could do this; it wasn't that hard to stay silent and agree with the bastard... was it? Apparently he was about to find out. Raising his still fist, because it was not shaking, he knocked lightly on the door and waited. Then he waited some more. Only silence met him, and it irritated him to think Sasuke was ignoring him.

This only caused him to rap on the door, his fist hard and loud on the cold wood. That asshole wasn't going to pretend like no one was here. Naruto waited again, and continued to wait.

Completely forgetting his need to stay on Sasuke's good side, Naruto pushed the door open. He would give Sasuke a piece of his mind. Naruto though, did not expect the sight that lay before him. His insulting words died on the tip of his tongue as he blinked in surprise.

There before him was nothing but an empty desk. Sasuke wasn't in his office, an oddity in itself. The man was a workaholic; he never gave himself the liberty to take a personal break. Naruto was the complete opposite. He would grab for any time off that he could get.

Naruto sighed, looks like he was going on a hunt. A rabbit hunt. His lips tilted up in a smirk as his mind echoed the words of Elmer Fudd. He missed his Looney-Toons. With a new wave of determination and a promise to get up early to watch Saturday morning cartoons, Naruto was off.

Thankfully, the walk back to the elevators didn't seem quite as long. Maybe it had to do with his occupied mind. He wasn't really paying attention to the going ons around him.

The elevator opened quickly, not having moved since Naruto had last gotten off. The blond entered, suddenly unsure of where to head next. He guessed the obvious answer would be to head towards the third floor. There he could check the lounge and the copy room. Maybe Sasuke had gone down to refill his coffee since his secretary was obviously not around to do it for him. It amazed Naruto that Sasuke even bothered to put up with it. If it had been Naruto, he was sure he would have been fired in no time.

To give Shikamaru some credit, the lazy man was a genius. So maybe he was move valuable to Sasuke, then to just throw him to the curb.

With his mindset, Naruto punched in the glowing three and awaited his decent. It didn't take long for the elevator to stop a few floors down. Naruto ceased his sing along with the eighties music that filled the small machine, to look intently at the door. He faintly wondered who he would be sharing his ride with, when the doors opened to reveal the answer.

Ino stood with a heaping stack of papers. It looked like she was filing again. Naruto knew just how much the blond woman detested the monthly filing she did, and he couldn't say he blamed her. It was a tedious and boring job.

"Hey!" He chirped, hoping to brighten the sour mood he knew she was in.

Ino smiled lightly, not letting it reach her eyes.

"Hi Naruto." She walked in quickly and slumped against the wall. The weight of the papers feel against her chest causing her to grunt.

"How much do you have this month?" Ino glared at him. Obviously, she thought he was amused when he shouldn't be. Naruto couldn't help it, Ino just over exaggerated things.

"I have two more piles like this upstairs." Or maybe not. She laughed finally at the look on Naruto's face. "Where are you headed?" She asked as the elevator stopped on her desired floor.

"I'm trying to find Sasuke." He cringed, clearly showing his dislike over his task.

"Oh well good luck with that." She paused to smile. "I think I saw him earlier today talking with Neji. Might want to check his office."

Naruto smiled and thanked her; if he didn't find the bastard in the lounge then he would be sure to check Neji's office next. Neji was just like the two Uchiha's only that he had a sense of kindness and decency. It didn't take Naruto long to befriend the usually serious Hyuuga. A feat that he was very proud of.

The door closed again as the elevator continued to descend. Once alone, Naruto began to hum the chorus to some late disco song. For the life of him, he could not remember the songs name. He shook it off, it wasn't like it mattered. The song was too awkward. Hearing it reminded him of old men trying to relive their glory days. It wasn't an image Naruto wanted to be reminded of on a frequent basis.

Chiming, the elevator announced the third floor and opened its doors in a lazy manner. It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion this morning. Naruto couldn't really complain, he wanted to delay the inevitable for as long as he possibly could.

He willed his feet to move, dragging them down a hall identical to the last. It would suck if someone blindfolded him and then dropped him on a random floor with the task of identifying the level with all the doors closed. Naruto would be sure to fail. Every floor was a freaking clone of the other.

Again, Naruto had to pull his mind back to the task on hand. Could he have ADD? Thinking back on it, Naruto would not be surprised. Hell, it would explain a lot of things. To bad he didn't feel like getting tested and be labeled. The last thing he needed was for someone to judge him for a condition he had.

The entrance of the lounge came up ahead. It's dim light spilled into the hallway, brightening the wall opposite. It was quiet, so Naruto assumed that it was empty. Usually some chatter could be heard, but then again this was Sasuke he was talking about. Mr. Antisocial himself. He probably wouldn't interact with anyone willingly even with a gun to his head. Okay so that was an exaggeration, but you still get the gist of it. Sasuke didn't chit-chat.

Sure enough, the large room was empty. It seemed that someone had been there earlier, with the fresh aroma of coffee floating about and the brewed pot on the counter. The most surprising thing was that Shikamaru wasn't passed out on the couch. It only meant that he was probably on the roof. It was just surprising since they had locked the roof's door. Maybe the lazy man wasn't so lazy, to take the time to pick the lock. Just went to show that you couldn't keep a man from his cloud gazing.

Well there was still one more room left on this floor to check. The copy room was only a few doors down, but upon sticking his head out Naruto saw that he would find that room just as empty. The door was closed and the lights turned off. Unless Shino was in there with his pet cockroaches again, Naruto doubted he would find anything in the copy room.

Naruto tapped his foot in irritation. He really didn't feel like going up to Neji's office. Considering the time, the man would be busy and wouldn't welcome an interruption. Just because he was nicer than the Uchiha, didn't mean he couldn't be a bastard.

He was just about to turn back towards the elevators, ready to take his search else where when a crash bounced off the quiet walls. Naruto's first instinct was to call out his innocence. For some odd reason he always was blamed for everything. It made no sense to him. Did he look like a troublemaker or something?

The noise brought him back to the copy room. Naruto really hoped Shino wasn't keeping some dark loving insect in here again. Perhaps he would talk to Itachi about keep the lights on from now on. What was so bad about spend a few more bucks on electricity as apposed to dealing with bugs? Especially big creepy bugs. Naruto shivered, not something he wanted to deal with.

He could only pray that some blond eating thing wasn't being stashed in there. He didn't want to die today. Gathering his courage for the second time that day, Naruto turned the handle and threw the door open. The sudden surprise might scare whatever was inside, and in turn leave him alone.

Well Naruto was half-right. It did surprise the rooms' inhabitants, but Naruto's life was hanging on a thread. Blue eyes flew to the floor; a broken vase seemed to be the culprit of the noise.

How the vase got there seemed to perk Naruto's interest. There, in the place were the vase normally stood, sat Sasuke his eyes wide and face flushed from either embarrassment or anger. Naruto couldn't be sure. The real problem was the situation between Sasuke's parted naked thighs.

In any other situation, Naruto might have been impressed. No doubt, it took a special person to get Shikamaru to do anything but sleep, and Naruto was pretty sure giving head wasn't similar to watching clouds. Could this be why Sasuke bothered to keep the lazy man around, for his oral sex skills? The thought was laughable, if only Naruto didn't feel like his life was in danger.

"Uzumaki!" Was it possible for anyone to sound that menacing? Thank god, looks couldn't kill. Naruto would have been dead upon opening the door.

Sensing that now would be a good time to leave, Naruto stuttered some incoherent words. He hoped that Sasuke made some sense of them, because he sure as hell didn't.

Swallowing thickly, he tried again. "I–Itachi wanted me to give these to... you. Since you're... umm... busy, I'll just leave them here." Naruto laid them on a small table by the door. That way Sasuke could retrieve them when he was occupied with other things.

"Uh... Sorry..." He didn't know why he bothered to apologize, maybe because he couldn't stop staring. Shikamaru was even looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Anyone else would probably have been smart enough to leave as quickly as they had come. No one ever said Naruto was the smartest person.

"Get out!" Yup, Naruto's life was over. If Itachi wasn't going to make his life miserable, it sure as hell was going to be Sasuke.

Deciding that if he left now he might get a few more hours to live, Naruto scampered off. He wouldn't be able to get to the safety of his office quick enough. Even the elevator seemed to be against him. It inched along in getting here. Naruto really wanted to murder who ever had to use it after him, and did they really need to go up that many levels?

Finally, the doors slide open, salvation only moments away. The sooner he could get to the safety of his desk the better. Someone must have disagreed with him, since the elevator inched along. Naruto made a mental note to just take the stairs next time.

Naruto was unsure how he should feel when he saw Itachi sitting in his chair waiting for him. A part of him wanted to yell at his boss for invading his workspace, but he bit his tongue. He wasn't about to compromise anymore of his life.

The smirk on Itachi's face immediately alerted the fox that something was up. He had only seen that smirk once before. It had hung smugly on the ravens' face the night Naruto found out who he was now working under. Something was up, and Naruto knew that he was not going to like it.

"Ah Naruto, I am guessing that your task was a success?" Naruto felt like lashing out at the man. '_No it wasn't a fucking success. I got my eyes burned from their sockets, and I now have your brother out for my blood. Oh and by the way, did you know Sasuke was doing the naughty-naughty with his secretary in the copy room!?_' All that did end up leaving his mouth was a simple grunted "yes".

"Is anything the matter? You look like you have seen a ghost." Naruto could have laugh. '_Oh, if only you knew._' Blue eyes narrowed as Itachi's smirk grew. '_Or perhaps the cunning raven already does._'

Itachi removed himself from Naruto's chair, moving towards his office door in one fluid movement. Really, no man should be able to walk that elegantly. It irritated Naruto. Whether it was because he found it sexy or annoying, he wasn't sure. If he had to pick it would have been the latter. That way he could still hold onto some of his sanity. Last thing he need was to admit he was attracted to his spawn of Satan boss.

"Naruto." Said boy looked up, black eyes pierced into him. He had to force himself not to look away. "Be sure to avoid Sasuke. It really would be a shame for you to die before I finished having my fun." And then he was gone leave Naruto with those ominous words.

"Well shit." Naruto slumped into his desk, trying to ignore the pleasant warmth of his chair. Maybe it would be smart to call Sakura now, and see if he couldn't get his old position back. His life and sanity was really more important than a higher paycheck.

His hand shot out to wrench open his desk drawer, his cell phone should be in there. One pull, and the drawer stayed immobile, firmly shut in place. Two pulls and the handle flew from the wooden face.

Naruto could only stare. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that his desk drawer had been glued shut. Funny, who would bother doing something so childish?

An image of Itachi immediately emerged in his mind. The bastard did not glue his desk closed. '_Please tell me he did not glue the drawer with my cell phone in it closed!!_'

Naruto hit his head upon his desk. The atomic bomb had indeed just descended.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .

* * *

_A/N – Well there you have it… it now begins… I only hope Naruto can come out of this alive… xD Oh the crack this fic will spew… so sad. _

_Also doing my duty as a ItaNaru writer… and I am sure everyone knows it by now… but there is a contest thing going on… and the nomination time has now been extended so if you want to nominate your favorite author or fic, go to my profile for the link to all the info you will need. _

_-Akiru-_


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